That's How You Know
by Ritsu Arasashi
Summary: Little things that show you how your friends will remember you, even after all the years.


_October 31, 2004_

Mello knocked on his friend's door, but didn't receive any answer. "Odd…" he mused as he knocked again. Still no answer. _Screw it_, he thought as he twisted the doorknob and opened the door. _We're both boys, anyway._

Matt was lying over the side of his bed, sound asleep, with the game controller held loosely in his hand.

Mello sighed. Gamer always had to crash when the blond really needed to talk to him. Mello eased the controller from his friend's hands and set it on the floor, turning the game and the T.V. off before lifting the gamer up and laying him properly on the bed and pulled the sheets up to his chin. The blond touched his friend's hand gently. "Bye, Mattie," he whispered before turning to leave.

"Mel…?" Matt mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "What're you doing here?"

"I wanted to…to say goodbye," Mello managed quietly.

"'Say goodbye'?" the gamer asked curiously as he sat up. "Why would ya wanna do that?"

"'Cause," the blond answered, sitting down on the edge of the bed, not looking at his friend. "I'm leaving."

"What? Why?" Matt exclaimed.

"L's been killed," Mello answered quietly, still refusing to look at his friend.

"So he picked you, right? That's why you're leaving? Then let me come with you!" the gamer said excitedly.

"NO!"

"No what?" Matt said, looking curiously at the blond.

"No everything," Mello cried. "No, he didn't decide. No, that's not why I'm leaving. Most of all, no, you can't come with me."

"Bu-…" the gamer trailed off. "Oh, okay, fine." He got up and walked away from the bed. "I see."

"Matt, it's not like that," the blond insisted quietly, getting up and crossing the room to grab his friend's hand. "I don't want to put you in danger."

"I know, I know," Matt mumbled. He pulled away from Mello and opened the top drawer of his dresser and began digging around for a few minutes. "Here," he said, holding out a rosary.

"Matt, it's-it's beautiful," the blond said, "but I already have one."

"I know. Just…just…"

Mello just managed to catch the rosary before it fell to the floor as the gamer flung his arms around the blond's neck, sobbing. "Mattie…"

"Take it and r-remember me, please," Matt sobbed.

Mello wrapped his arms around his friend and whispered, "How could I ever forget you? You're my best friend."

The gamer sniffled and insisted, "Just promise. Please."

"I promise," the blond murmured against his friend's hair. "I promise."

_November 27, 2009_

A cell phone rang at three a.m., disturbing a very tired and very aggravated gamer from a sound sleep.

"Yeah, what is it? And it better damn well be good," Matt grumbled irritably.

"Matt, I need you."

That voice. He remembered that voice. All thoughts of sleep vanished as the gamer shot out of bed to find some clothes. "What? What's wrong?"

"I need your help," Mello said. "Can you meet me somewhere?"

"Yeah, sure," Matt said, pulling his jeans on hurriedly and almost falling over. "Just tell me where. I'll be there."

The rendezvous was given and the line went dead.

Matt walked into the building and spotted his old friend in the shadows. "Hey," he said, pulling out a cigarette. "Mind if I smoke?"

Mello looked up and smirked. "Not my lungs you're ruining."

The gamer chuckled to himself as he lit the cigarette. He took a drag off of it and blew the smoke out as he leaned back against the wall. "So?"

The blond was silently staring at the ground with his hands shoved in his pockets. "You haven't changed much…"

"Yeah? Well, it's just the opposite for you. What's with the leather?"

Mello shrugged, just a slight movement but it was enough.

Matt let a few minutes of silence pass between them before he said, "Why're you hiding? That's not like you."

"You yourself said I'd changed," was the only response the blond gave.

The gamer sighed. "Fine, whatever. Will you stop hiding, around me if no one else?"

Mello shook his head. "I-you'll hate me," he mumbled.

"I could never hate you," Matt insisted. "I've always shown you my true self," he went on, talking a step closer to the blond. "Can't you do the same with me? Please?"

"Don't beg," Mello mumbled before he slipped the jacket off and let it fall to the floor.

The gamer sucked in a breath in shock.

"Fuck, I knew it," the blond sighed, bending down to pick up his jacket off the floor.

"No, wait," Matt said, grabbing his friend's wrist quickly. "It's just-it looks painful," he said as he let go. "Is it?"

"It was, when it first happened," Mello mumbled, leaning back against the wall and letting himself slide down to the floor.

"Wait, when what happened?"

"I blew up that building."

"Oh…"

"God, I'm sorry," he whispered, his rosary clattering against his belt buckle as he put his head on his knees.

"Why?" the gamer replied in a whisper as he sat down next to the blond. He didn't know why they were whispering, but he didn't care either.

"I shouldn't have left you there," Mello said, his shoulders shaking. "I'm surprised you don't hate me already."

"Hey, why would I hate you? I know you were trying to keep me safe. And you're still wearing the rosary I gave you," Matt murmured. "That's enough for me."

"So stupid," the blond muttered before he laid his head on the gamer's shoulder. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you hate me? After I left you there, and after everything that's happened…"

"Mel, you're my best friend. I _can't_ hate you; it's got nothing to do with what you do. I'll always care about you," Matt answered.

"Yeah, but I hurt you," Mello murmured. "We both know why I left…"

"Yeah. Near," the gamer answered. He flicked the cigarette butt away. "I'll admit it; _that_ did hurt."

The blond winced, a slight jerk of the shoulders.

"But I understand why you did it. Why you left Wammy's…and me," Matt said quietly.

"Matt…" the blond said, his voice trembling. "P-please…f-forgive me…"

"I forgave you the second I told you to take the rosary," the gamer replied, picking up the cross gently, "this rosary that you're still wearing, even now. That's how I know you care."

Mello buried his face against his friend's chest, clinging to the tan vest as the sobs wracked through his body. "I'm s-so s-sorry!" he sobbed.

"It's alright," Matt murmured into the blond's hair. He'd toyed with the idea that his friend hadn't been affected at all when they parted ways-for about a minute. This proved that it did, and how badly it had, and still was, affecting him as well. It had hurt Mello as much, if not more than, as it had the gamer. Probably more, if how hard he was crying was any indication. Matt wrapped is arms around the blond gently. "It's alright," he whispered again. "It's alright now." They sat there, the gamer rocking them gently back and forth until Mello had quieted down to soft sniffles. "Is this what you needed me for?" Matt asked after a time.

"Mm-mm," Mello answered, shaking his head. Then, "Well, sorta, but…Mattie?"

"Mm?"

"Will you help me catch Kira?"

The gamer frowned in confusion. "But, I-"

"I'll keep you safe, I swear," the blond insisted.

"That's okay, I'd rather you be safe," Matt said. "All you had to do was ask, though. I've wanted to help you since the day we heard that you were in line to be the next L. Just tell me what you need."

Mello nodded, standing up quickly, though he was still drying his eyes. He picked up his jacket and pulled it on. "Ya up ta hacking?"

The gamer rolled his eyes and scoffed as he stood as well. "You're talking to the kid who hacked Wammy's main interface at eight years old, just because his best friend wanted to know rankings. If it's for you, of course," he said.

"Let's go."

"Mello?" Matt asked as they left.

"Yeah?"

"You got a place to stay?"

"Not really," the blond mumbled.

"Well, come stay with me then," the gamer said. "It's a bit of a mess now, but I'll clean it up."

"Really, Matt, I couldn't-"

"I insist," Matt said firmly.

Mello sighed. "Fine. Wait here."

Twenty minutes later, the gamer was leaning back against his car, taking a drag off his cigarette as a motorcycle pulled up.

The blond pulled of his helmet and said, "Well?"

"Let's get started," Matt said, grinning as he flicked his cigarette away. "We'll catch Kira, or die trying."


End file.
